Podnews Daily - podcast industry news
Daily news for the podcast and on-demand audio industry - from Apple Podcasts to Spotify, YouTube Music to Joe Rogan. Podnews also covers the latest jobs and events and trending shows in a short update every weekday. editor@podnews.net - visit https://podnews.net to get our free newsletter.
Lemonada Media’s acquisition price
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How much did PodX Group pay for their acquisition of Lemonada Media)? Around $30mn, says Ashley Carman, in her newsletter Soundbite. She reports that QCODE has achieved fresh funding, and that Goalhanger looks set to get funding from The Chernin Group. (Podnews readers get 25% off Soundbite for the first year using this link) Podtrac released its US podcast rankers for April. The Daily Wire slipped below Paramount; there are few other changes, and numbers are mostly flat. Spanish-language news podcast Noticentro...Bigger than you think: podcast revenue is $7.3bn worldwide
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The podcast industry might be bigger than you think. New research from Hernan Lopez’s Owl & Co suggests that the global podcast economy is $7.3bn - and says that the US makes up two-thirds of that. The enlarged figure comes from including video and “consumer revenue” (like Patreon and others). Exclusive: The London Standard newspaper has partnered with podcast producer Message Heard, to lead the development and production of The Standard’s award-winning audio output. It’s the first such partnership for a UK n...PodX Group acquires Lemonada; Spotify launch “plays”
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PodX Group is to acquire Lemonada Media. The Swedish company already owns a number of podcast production houses across the world; it’s their first acquisition in the US. No terms were given. Last month, PodX merged its three UK companies. Spotify announced that it is to add a “play” count, visible within the app, for all podcasts. “Plays will capture engagement across audio and video content on Spotify”, the company says, also pointing t...Playback data all in one place
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German podcast platform Audiorella launched Audiorella Data, a tool that gathers playback data from Spotify, YouTube, and other key platforms into one dashboard. ZDF is its first customer. Acast released its financial report for Q1/2025. The company saw sales growth of 30%, up to US$55mn for the quarter. North America grew by 65%. However, the company went back into loss, losing $3mn in the quarter; and total listens dropped by 1% year-on-year - though that is a creditable number, given...The top 50 US podcasts for Q1/2025
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Edison Research released the top 50 podcasts in the US for Q1 2025. Rotten Mango makes its debut in the top ten; The Mel Robbins Podcast makes the top 50 for the first time - at #15. Podnews’s list includes hosting companies; Megaphone host 22, Simplecast host 12. Registrations are now open for the Women Who Podcast Awards. The awards are run by a magazine, Women Who Podcast, which is up to issue 17. President Trump signed an executive order aiming to el...Looking for an expert? Meet your PodHeroes
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PodHeroes, the “world’s first podcast expert marketplace”, has launched. The tool aims to help creators access expert guidance throughout their podcasting journey, and offers knowledgeable mentors who have built their own successful shows. The Podcast Show London has revealed the programme for the stages and speakers. Our Editor, James Cridland, will be doing the opening keynote at 9.15am on day one. You can buy tickets now; code PODNEWS10 saves on selected passes. More financial reports were released: Broadcaster and podcast producer Sirius...New concept podcast earbuds
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POD Pods are earbuds with a case specifically designed for podcast listeners - with hardware that includes a dedicated skip button, and a colour e-ink display. Disappointingly - they’re just a concept, from Japanese designer Lee Huang. We’d buy one. Maybe. In the UK, Bauer Media sold its stake in digital audio marketplace Octave to its joint venture partner, News UK, last month. This month, the company has announced its digital audio ad platform AudioXi will be...Spotify shows off 10% more users in Q1/25 financials
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Spotify released its Q1/25 financial update. Making more than US$1.4bn profit in the quarter, the company saw a year-on-year growth of 10% monthly-active users to 678 million; 12% growth in premium subscribers (268 million), and 15% growth in total revenue (US $4.7bn). In the prepared comments to investors, Daniel Ek raised concerns about increased economic uncertainty in the world; and bragged that the company can now add new features to their apps six times faster. Investor Chris Peterson suggests that the results show “podcasts are leading th...UK audio ad growth slows
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In the UK, the IAB says that podcast advertising grew by just 8% in 2024, to ÂŁ90mn ($120mn) - a slowdown from a 23% growth last time. However, this number only accounts for audio podcast ads - the video display ad category, which includes video podcasts, grew by 20% year-on-year. (Now we know why the industry is fixated with a definition for what a podcast is - and the perils of being too narrow). Spotify say...Tencent to pay a mountain of cash for Ximalaya
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Chinese podcasting company Ximalaya is reportedly to be acquired by Tencent Music for $2.4bn, reports Bloomberg. (Spotify bought Anchor for just $140mn). Ximalaya, which claimed more than 303mn monthly active users in 2023, spent $100mn on a US expansion in 2019 (though it may not have done); the company tried to float on the NYSE, but didn’t, and was going to float in Hong Kong, but hasn’t. Himalaya’s highest-profile employee in the US was Peter Vincer, who made the headli...The Daily gets two new co-hosts
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From the New York Times, The Daily, one of the most popular podcasts in the world, is to get two new co-hosts. Natalie Kitroeff and Rachel Abrams will join Michael Barbaro as co-hosts, as Sabrina Tavernise returns to a reporting role. Rachel hosts today’s episode. “Natalie and Rachel are the perfect journalists to take us into this new chapter,” said Barbaro. Today is DNA Day, and also the launch day for Gene Pool Media, a new po...YouTube is 20
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YouTube is twenty years old this week (YouTube Music is ten years old this year, too). The company has posted plenty of new stats on its blog. Hamish & Andy, who present one of the biggest podcasts in Australia, have signed a renewal deal, early, with LiSTNR owners SCA. After the NASDAQ warned Cumulus Media that it might be delisted, Cumulus has announced that it will move off the stock exchange on May 2, “rather than investing time, effort, and co...Daily Mail launches premium true crime podcasts
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DMG Media has launched a new true crime podcast subscription, The Crime Desk (“the home of arresting podcasts” - we see what they did there), which launches today from the owner of the Daily Mail. In a pre-launch period, it’s gained subscriptions “well into the thousands”; the team has eight full-time staff and another dozen freelancers. (It uses Supporting Cast). Global and iHeart Podcasts have been unveiled as headline partners of The Podcast Show London next month. Pod...Exclusive: Webby Awards podcast winners
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Exclusive: Podnews lists podcast winners for the 29th Annual Webby Awards today, including awards for Dan Taberski’s Hysterical, Conan O’Brien, New Heights and SmartLess. In our list, you’ll also see hosting companies and be able to listen to the trailers. Exclusive: The podcast website tool Podpage lets anyone get a great looking website for their podcast; but today for Elite annual members, they’re announcing free podcast website design services - free design polish based on...Podcast ad revenue smashes through $2bn
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Podcasting is now a $2bn ad industry in the US - earning a total of $2.4bn in US podcast ad revenue, in 2024. “This rebound is driven by continued expansion of podcast networks, deeper brand integrations, and advancements in audience targeting,” said the IAB / PwC Internet Ad Revenue Report. In total, internet advertising revenue hit $258.6 billion in 2024, its highest since 2021. The report is a free download. The theme music from Noiser’s Titanic - Ship of Dreams is, li...Spotify’s Maya Prohovnik: “you’re going to be thrilled”
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People are spending 44% more time looking at Spotify’s app than last year. “The demand for podcast audiences for video is undeniable at this point,” says Spotify’s Maya Prohovnik in an exclusive interview with the Podnews Weekly Review today. “For almost all shows who have switched from audio to video, they're making more total revenue,” she told us; and when questioned on claims earlier in the week that creators lose features when they switch to video, she told us: “I think that's...Podcast Show London announces new speakers
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The Podcast Show London has confirmed new partners and speakers, including Gary Lineker and Jack Davenport from Goalhanger, and Alison Lomax from YouTube UK & Ireland. Also announced as speakers are the team from FlightStory Studio: the team behind Diary of a CEO, Begin Again, and We Need to Talk - who’ll take to the stage with a session called “The Creator Economy is Dead. Welcome to the Era of Creator Entrepreneurs”. Our Editor is also speaking, and yo...Women’s podcast listenership triples
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Women’s podcast listenership has tripled in ten years, according to the Women’s Audio Report: Women & Podcasts released by Edison Research and SiriusXM Media. 45% of all women in the US (60mn) are monthly listeners; and 52% consume podcasts in some form (whether listening or watching). Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster is hosting a free webinar today at 2pm Eastern, examining ad-supported podcasting compared to other ad-supported media. It’s the largest cross-platform study of its kind, and is...Spotify invests in international audiobooks
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Spotify announced that it is investing €1 million ($1.14mn) to increase the production of audiobooks in non-English languages, starting with French and Dutch. “In France, we are continuing to bring a younger, more diverse audience to audiobooks, with nearly 60% of listeners aged 18 to 34 accounting for over half of all listening hours,” the company says. But, what is an audiobook? Some successful podcasts are reading out public domain stories, or works to which the podcaster has the rights. Howeve...Goalhanger adds women’s football show
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She shoots - she scores. Goalhanger, the largest independent podcast company in the UK is to release a new show tomorrow - The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness, a new show hosted by England women footballers Millie Bright and Rachel Daly. Promising a deep dive into the heart of women's football, it’s the second brand extension from Goalhanger - the first, The Rest Is Politics: US, was launched a year ago. Futuro Media has launched Futuro Plus, including an ex...Video on Spotify slammed; claims rebutted
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“No clear audience gain ... unvetted, untested, and unproven proprietary metrics.” In a piece about video on Spotify, Sounds Profitable’s Bryan Barletta writes: “In its current state, I urge the podcast industry not to take part in Spotify Video and Streaming Audio as it stands to have a massive and long-term negative revenue and reputational impact for those involved.” Pointing us to a recent blog post from Megaphone (for whom Barletta briefly worked), Spotify said many claims were untrue and...Merger creates UK “podcasting supergroup”
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In the UK, three podcast production companies have announced a merger. Platform Media, Listen and Goldhawk - all owned by PodX - are to merge under the Platform Media name, dubbed a “podcast supergroup”. It will continue to use Listen, Goldhawk and Platform Media’s Folding Pocket brands as content labels. The company claims eight-figure revenues and 70% year-on-year growth. Acast has partnered with Supercast to offer paid subscription tools. They’ll be available to all Acast podcasters, allowing them to easily sell exclusiv...Testing ad effectiveness before it runs
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Audion has launched Sense, an AI-powered tool that is designed to give pre-campaign analysis of ad creative, helping advertisers achieve more effective digital audio advertising spots, before they run. It’s been trained with more than 3,000 audio campaigns. Audioboom published its Q1/25 financial results. EBITDA profit is up 10x year-on-year; the company says its on pace to deliver record revenue of $80mn this year. Steven Goldstein published his writeup of his View from the Top...The podcast from a crowded elevator
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Um. In a show titled Anything Can Be A Podcast (fittingly, only on YouTube), host Taylor Cartago talks us through the hit musical Hamilton, while standing in a crowded elevator. For an hour. Someone’s told him that he’s gonna rise up, while others enter the room where it happens just to get down to the lobby. Acast held a “Capital Markets Day” for investors, setting updated financia...Google’s podcast download spike
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Google appears to be driving hundreds of thousands of podcast downloads every week, that we don’t think are being listened-to. The Google Audio News product on mobile phones and smart speakers is driving significant extra traffic - and, we can reveal today, we’re not the only company who has noticed. Podtrac released its March US podcast rankings. Among the most popular podcasts, NPR News Now has overtaken The Daily; and VINC...Video: more important than ever
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“Audio is still healthy and thriving, but video is more important than ever,” according to Amplifi Media and Coleman Insights. Speaking at Evolutions in Chicago, Steven Goldstein and Jay Nachlis revealed that 77% of podcast consumers are consuming both audio and video, and that social media has overtaken recommendations from friends and family as the most popular way to discover podcasts. We’ve a short interview in the Podnews Weekly Review this week, from Evolut...Podnews Report Card results for 2025
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The Podnews Report Card results for 2025 were released on stage at Evolutions, with comments and scores by creators about the podcast platforms we all use. YouTube scored significantly higher for all categories, though creators expressed concern about walled gardens and about perceived complication getting listed. Apple continued to be creators’ favourite platform, though in the apps category, the independent podcast app Pocket Casts was #2. We’ve published the full results here. What is a podcast? Dan Granger spoke...The biggest app is…
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Exclusive Apple Podcasts remains the #1 app in the US for podcast downloads for the biggest shows, according to new data from Podtrac. In a presentation this morning (keynote stage 9am) at Evolutions in Chicago, our Editor will reveal data showing that - even with YouTube views - Apple is still the largest podcast app out there for the 250 biggest shows. Evolutions, by Podcast Movement, kicked off yesterday...The Ambies: the winners for 2025
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The winners of The 2025 Ambies were announced in Chicago - the fifth annual awards for excellence in audio, in a ceremony hosted by Tig Notaro ahead of Podcast Movement Evolutions. Hysterical won Podcast of the Year; Ira Glass was honored with the esteemed Governors Award; and Sam Sanders received the Impact Award. We link to all the winners. In a bold move, Magellan AI has announced a rebrand to P...Hubbard Radio Launches Gamut Podcast Network
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Exclusive: Hubbard Radio has announced the launch of the Gamut Podcast Network, a dedicated podcast division for the 102 year-old company. “The launch of Gamut is more than a rebrand; it’s a pivotal evolution for our company,” said Ginny Hubbard, CEO of Hubbard Radio; the VP/GM is John Goforth, who joined...BBC rules out UK ads in podcasts
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After criticism from the UK podcast industry, the BBC has said it won’t press ahead with ads in podcasts in the UK, saying that it has “decided to rule out placing adverts around BBC licence-fee funded programmes on third-party podcast platforms in the UK.” The announcement is expected to be confirmed in the BBC Annual Plan next week. Independent podcasters had called the idea “disastrous”. The BB...Spotify Partner Program expands into Europe
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Spotify’s monetisation model for creators, the Spotify Partner Program is to expand to a further nine new countries, eight in Europe. From Apr 29, eligible audio and video creators in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and New Zealand can enroll. This means more money for existing partners, too: we’re told that eligible creators earn based on how much Spotify Premium memb...Japan: YouTube is #1 for podcasts
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YouTube is the #1 podcast platform in Japan, according to a new report from Otonal and the Asahi Shimbun Company. A new high of 17.2% of Japanese adults aged 15-69 listen at least once a month; that figure rising to 34% for 15-19 year-olds. Audio in Japan has always seen lower consumption than in other countries. The 17.2% monthly listeners number compares with 55% in the US. Last week was...YouTube could let you swap ads in videos
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YouTube could be switching on dynamic ad insertion, according to a report by Semafor. The report says YouTube “would allow host-read ads to be dynamically inserted and swapped out within individual YouTube videos”, as is already the case for audio podcasts using open RSS. YouTube hasn’t commented. Semafor suggest that Spotify offers this product. It doesn’t; videos on Spotify do not have dynamic ad inser...Gen Z leans towards video
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Exclusive: New data from The State of Video Podcasting 2025 by Coleman Insights and Amplifi Media, to be unveiled next week at Evolutions (Thu Apr 3, 9-9.30), confirms a major shift in podcast consumption: only 10% of Gen Z podcast consumers never consume video podcasts. It’s not all about video, though - the study also shows 41% of Gen Z podcast consumers only or mostly consume audio podcasts. Th...Podcasts hit the mainstream
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For the first time, The Infinite Dial from Edison Research has reported that over 50% of Americans are consuming podcasts each month. The research, now in its 27th year, shows that podcasts are consumed by 55% of Americans aged 12+. The study has an enlarged survey size and now asks about “watching” podcasts as well as “listening”. (Podcasts grew whatever question was asked). The monthly splits show that video po...Fantasy Footballers to keynote at Evolutions
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Evolutions has announced two new keynotes for the event in Chicago IL, USA, from Mar 31 to Apr 3. Hosts of The Fantasy Footballers, Jason Moore and Mike Wright, will reveal their cross-platform strategy for audience growth and monetization—valuable lessons for creators and industry professionals alike on harnessing passionate communities and building sustainable media businesses. Evolutions says “Their journey from podcast pioneers to running one of the...Law&Crime launches show exclusively with Wondery+
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Law&Crime, a legal and true crime network, has launched a new show - as an exclusive on Wondery+. Luigi will launch on March 24, following the case of Luigi Mangione, who is accused of killing a health insurance company CEO - and asks whether it’s a standard murder case, or a new cultural moment. Radiotopia from PRX released its new shows for Q2/25 - three po...YouTube puts “podcasts” on the front page
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YouTube is adding a dedicated “Podcast” tab on the main screen of its Android TV app, thus highlighting more podcast content to YouTube’s biggest number of users - TV is now the primary device for YouTube viewing in the US. As with its podcasts page on the web, though, it contains plenty of content which appears to have been automatically marked as being a podcast, includ...Podstock brings the numbers together
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When trying to take stock of your podcast network’s numbers, it can be irritating logging into multiple platforms across the internet to put all your consumption data together. A new service called Podstock has launched, to give one view of that data, for shows and networks. CEO and co-founder Michael Paretzky, who led podcast analytics and strategy at Audacy, writes that he hopes the podcast in...
